Jim Henson truely wsa a creative genious. The original development sketches of the muppet characters truely makes this book a gem

This book is absolutely incredible! Every page is bursting with the zany creativity that Jim Henson inspires in us all. This book is well-worth the price for the photos alone -- everything from early obsure works to Sesame Street to my hero, Kermit the Frog. The text is engaging, informative and full of interesting stories behind the movies and tv shows that have made so many of us laugh. If you are part of the Muppet generation like me you will especially appreciate the fond memories this book brings back.

I am so sorry that I could not put in 5 million stars. I go to the library everyday and read this book while awaiting to be picked up, and I never get tired of it, this is the BEST book there is, it tells you everything with awesome pictures to go with it, I can't say enough about this book, its the BEST. I am hoping to join the Muppet clan ASAP. I can't wait, the Muppets are the best invention anyone has ever come up with. Jim Henson is the best person in the world, and I only wish I could thank him for all the things he has done for me and everyone else.

Delbeek and Sprung's knowledge and experience is evident in this up to date guide to mini reef keeping. The basics of reef keeping are explained, as well as coral biology and aquarium nutrient regulation. They describe various methods of filtration and lighting and their benefits/drawbacks. They explain how to construct and attach live rock and coral aquascapes in the aquarium. The text is also beautifully produced with many color photographs. Volume 1 focuses on stony corals and clams. There are many pictures of the different species, and they describe each species natural environment and needs. The book also covers coral disease, how to collect and transport corals, and several pictures of outstanding reef tanks are shown to give you something to shoot for. This book is the best I have seen for reef aquariums, and I have seen just about all of them. Volume 2, still in the works, will cover soft corals and gorgonians, from what I hear

This book should be an example by which all other marine and reef aquarium books follow. Current and relavant information from cover to cover. This is the stuff you need to know if you are serious about being successful in this hobby. Great book but a great group of people.

The Reef Aquarium has information for all degrees of reef keepers. Being a first timer in the field,I found this book to be as vital as the tank itself. This book has all the information that you will need for a great tank. It goes into depth on information with regards to aquascaping, lighting, and water parameters. It also deals with the diseases and pests of the reef tank. When setting up a tank listen to one person or book. I recommend this book to be that one book.

First off let me point out that this book leaves out most biographical information about Sinatra -- it focusses on the recordings themselves. It examines Sinatra's approach and technique to recording and singing. That makes the book extremely interesting and is its greatest strength.

Unfortunately, that is also where its weakness comes in. The book is quite clincial and could use a few more anecdotes and stories -- more "colour" if you will. I'd like to hear more interviews with musicians who worked with Sinatra and from Sinatra himself to get a better idea of the people making the music, because I feel that that the force of Sinatra's personality counts for something in his performance. I personally think that "chemistry" counts as much as technique in music and would like more of that brought out in the book.

This is not enough of a flaw to stop you enjoying the book, it is very engaging and will appeal to anyone who loves Sinatra's records. I still highly recommend the book.

I hestitate to add one more criticism -- Obviously one can not go into exhaustive detail about every single Sinatra recording, but I found it odd that Sinatra's greatest album "Songs For Swingin' Lovers" is barely mentioned while an entire chapter is devoted to the out of print (in US) "Close To You". I realise this is a personal preference, but I found it disappointing.

Chuck Granata's book, placed on the shelf next to Will Friedwald's SINATRA: THE SONG IS YOU, gives the admirer of Sinatra's art a superb and fascinating look at WHY this man was the greatest popular singer of the 20th century. Where Friedwald goes into great detail explaining the unique musicianship of the man, Granata gives his readers the knowledge of how this artistry was captured and preserved for generations of listeners. Anyone interested in Frank Sinatra, great music, the recording industry or the technology of sound recording must own this book. In an age when innovation is often hard to come by, Granata truly has broken new ground! --Scott Allen Nollen, author of the forthcoming SINATRA AT THE CINEMA (Mindnight Marquee)

No book has ever captured the experience of a recording session and the recording experience like Charles Granata. Long known as an authority of Frank Sinatra's work, this book actually conveys why Sinatra's recordings are classic and still speak to us. Granata's viewpoints are fair and, in the case of the controversial Mitch Miller recordings, as balanced as a writer can be in presenting all sides of the story. His interviews with such under-appreciated musicians such as arranger George Siravo ( who contributed far more to the canon of Frank Sinatra than most people realize) are particularly valuable. I am delighted that he has quoted extensively from Nelson Riddle's arranging book (which I edited for publication), which has much valuable information about how Nelson worked with Sinatra. The history of the recording field, rare photos and even reproductions of score pages simply make this a must-have volume.

The characters in this book grab your interest from the first page. The plot seems to be simple and you willingly follow it along. However, the intrigue builds rapidly and you soon find out that the past intimately involves the present and the main character is not who he thinks he is. As we read this book we are reminded how insensitive and cruel we can be to our fellow human beings. The reader learns that one's enviroment is just as important as one's genetics . Also,we learn about true friendship and the values important in life.
This book is exciting and hold your interest from start to finish and gives the reader an opportunity to reflect on many aspects of life.

The Hydrangea People is a gripping novel that is the medical counterpart to the legal novel The Firm.A naive urologist, fresh out of training, fails to see the evil amongst his peers. He is driven by his new found wealth, wherein the trouble begins. A must-read book!!!

An amazing first effort. Gershon quickly draws the reader to his diverse characters. Before you know it, you're totally caught up in the intrigue and action. A story skillfully woven between past and present leads the reader to the realization that people and things are not always as first perceived. I really loved this book. The only disappointment was that it read so quickly and ended way too soon. Can't wait for the next one.

This book offers a glimpse into the history and making of this holiday classic TV special, as well as paying tribute to Peanuts creator, Charles Schulz through interviews with Bill Melendez, Lee Mendelson, and some of the voice talents. Also included is a sampling of production and promotional art, and the entire script of the show accompanied by film stills. Just focusing on one of the many Peanuts shows makes for a very short book, however, but what is here is well researched and attractively presented. This book makes a good keepsake, but a book about all of the Peanuts animation would have made a longer, more interesting book. Still, I would recommend this book to Peanuts fans.

Reading "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on a dark Sunday afternoon in November is a bit like owning a DVD crammed with special features. This gorgeously-designed hardcover, with glossy pages and a heavy silver dustjacket, is a terrific companion to the TV special, and an almost essential shelf companion to "Peanuts: A Golden Celebration".

Anything you'd want to know about the "Christmas" TV special is in this book -- lengthy interviews with producer Lee Mendelson (a veteran of Peanuts anniversary books) and animator Bill Melendez. Charles M Schulz passed away before the book was written, but there are plenty of rarely-seen photos of him taken in the 1960s. There's a chapter on Vince Guaraldi, whose jazz soundtrack defines the lives of many "Peanuts" fans; interviews with some of the children who voiced the characters; and, O happy day, sheet music! The second half of the book contains the complete script for "A Charlie Brown Christmas" itself, along with dozens of photos and animated sequences, taken from the original cels.

"Christmas" is not for small children (unless they're reading it with you), and there are a couple of misprints (including, in my first edition, a caption for a photo that's not in the book!). But it's lovely to look at, and when I put it down finally, reluctantly, I was whistling the soundtrack and hearing Linus's nativity speech (and I'm Jewish!). These days you can buy it for about as much as the DVD costs, and it's a wonderful Christmas gift. Unless, of course, the person you're buying it for already owns it.

This book is for anybody who's seen A Charlie Brown Christmas virtually every year it's been on TV or via VHS or DVD.

It includes storyboards of the Ford commercials which featured Linus and Lucy back in 1962 (3 years before this classic TV special debuted). Not only that, it features advertisements in TV guide, an interview with Bill Melendez, who animated all the Peanuts specials and films up to Charles Schulz's untimely death in 2000), and a few essays from Lee Mendelson, who worked side by side with Melendez on each of the specials. It also features a few words from Peter Robins (the 1st voice of Charlie Brown) and Chris Shea (who played Linus). You also get a tribute to Vince Guaraldi who composed the music (not to mention that it includes the sheet music for "Linus and Lucy" and "Christmastime Is Here"). This book mentions how they came up with the adult "voices" in the specials and Schulz's conditions on working on Charlie Brown Christmas (one was that real children would do the kids' voices, and another was that the Gospel of Luke was present in the script in order to remind the audience the true meaning of Christmas).

Most importantly, this book includes the entire script of Charlie Brown Christmas with stills from the special. In essence, there is enough information for you to cast your own stage production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. There is one slight error in the script, however- the Peanuts gang is not humming "O Little Town of Bethelehem" at the finale but "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" (unless this was written in the original script and changed at the last minute). Finally, turn the pages and you'll see Snoopy cause Charlie Brown to crash into the tree in the one scene that begins the special!

Recommended to all Peanuts collectors and all who love the classic special that started it all for Peanuts animation. I got this from a good friend as a Christmas present!

This classic is listed under the age group of four to eight, and as a Poohphile I am quite appalled that it is. Winnie the Pooh books have such wit, wisdom, and humor that gets better every time I read them. Their not just for children, they are for everyone. Over the years, Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger, Kanga, and Roo have become some of my dearest chums. I once heard someone say, or perhaps I read it, that "books are like dear friends, and who has too many friends?" I am quite inclined to agree with that statement. This book is a dear friend of mine and I hope that you shall make it yours. :)

This book is a really good and funny book. My fav is Piglet because he is so shy and just goes along with what ever Pooh does. I think I read this book because Pooh and all his friends are coming back in now, to prove I love pooh I have a Pooh and FriendsPencil case.

Attention: all cranky four year olds, five year olds, eight year olds and thirty-five year olds on long car trips.

Attention all parents burned out by reading The Pokey Little Puppy over and over again.

Attention cynics whose primary memory of Winnie-the-Pooh is the Dorothy Parker quote (from her "Constant Reader" column in the New Yorker) "Tontant Weader frowed-up".

This book is a treasure for all who hear it. There is gentleness and not a little wit in these stories. Contray to the book description above, the book is read by the late Charles Kuralt. His inflection adds much to the story. One senses that he is amused; but he is never condesending. Now I will always prefer Kuralt's version to my own bedtime efforts with my children. Charles Kuralt must have loved Winne-the-Pooh mightily. How lucky we are that he left this delightful gift behind.

I have a real passion for the American Civil War and, if truth be told, I usually enjoy reading about it from a Southern perspective. I am though no Robert E. Lee worshipper and can see the good and the bad in the man and the soldier. He was not the perfect general and he did make mistakes (some very costly) but he is a fascinating character and any understanding of him leads to an appreciation of duty and honour. In those respects he was a paragon of virtue.

I'd read so much about Lee during the war that I needed something more, to find out what happened to him after the war. Charles B. Flood provided that "something" and I am so happy that I decided to go for this purchase. It was a snap decision but one I shall never regret.

The first ten chapters of the book are worth the price of purchase on their own, dealing as they do with the surrender of the marvellous Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox and the subsequent weeks and months as Lee made his way back to Richmond and waited to see what fate awaited him at the hands of the victorious Union.

I don't believe Flood was laying it on too thickly but the devotion felt towards Lee by his old soldiers (Pickett excepted of course) and the civilian population of the South are incredible. The stories of soldiers coming to see him before they set off on foot to return home are just so moving and Lee will not say no to anybody who wishes to see him.

After those opening incredible chapters things slow down somewhat and we learn of Lee's transition into what could be called a 'normal' life which sees him take up the presidency of the Lexington College in Virginia. It's not rivetting stuff by any stretch of the imagination but it's interesting and we gain a greater insight into what drives Robert E. Lee... duty and honour. He could have cashed in on his name a thousand times to retire a wealthy man, but he would not sell out and knows that his example, a dutiful one, will be followed by so many former Confederates in those dark post-war days.

Lee also refuses to incriminate his former comrades when pressed to do so and it is a measure of his standing even in the North that no-one dares to bring charges against him, despite the clamour from some sections of society that he be tried for treason.

The picture that Flood paints of Lee is not always flattering though. He is shown to be a stubborn man in some respects and his family are always in awe of him, especially his daughters, of whom he is extremely possessive. So much so that all three will die spinsters!

One of the last things that Lee does before his death in 1870 is to go on a short trip into the deep south and that again provides an incredible picture of his standing in the old Confedracy. Though he craves privacy word gets out that he is on a train and telegrams break the news ahead of his journey. Consequently, thousands turn up just to get a glimpse of him, with old soldiers bringing their children (man of who have been named after Lee). It is a very moving account of just how deeply his people felt for him.

My only complaint is that I would have liked just a little more reaction to lee's death around the South. How did the people react? What did the papers say? That sort of thing. An omission that could easily have been avoided in my opinion.

All in all though a hearty well done to Charles B. Flood for an excellent biography of Lee's last years. If my review sounds a little soppy then believe me, the book isn't. It is a solid, fair and well constructed picture of the last years of Robert E. Lee's life. It may move you in ways you weren't expecting though!

This book shows a side of Robert E. Lee that seems to have been lost in the history books. After the end of the Civil War, we hear little or nothing about General Lee. In truth, he died five years after the war ended, but he made the most of that time in trying to repair the damage done by the war. This book is an excellent chronicle of those years.

Lee lost most of his property during the war. He was a career soldier, and didn't have many prospects for employment. He hoped to move onto a farm and to live quietly in the country.

However, other plans were being made for him. The trustees of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia, voted unanimously to offer him a job as president of the college. Lee was not a professional educator (although he had served as superintendent of West Point), but the trustees believed that his leadership and integrity were just what the college needed to survive the harsh economy left by the war. For his part, Lee saw this as an opportunity to help young Southern men to become productive citizens.

The college's wager paid off. Enrollment grew each year that Lee spent at the helm. The college developed new programs, and Lee's stature and good reputation were such that Washington College received large donations from philanthropists, even in the Northern states. Lee took a personal interest in the students, learning to address them by name and taking responsibility for disciplinary measures.

Yet Lee's last five years were not years of unabated bliss. His health declined steadily, his wife was an invalid, his brother died, and his reputation suffered from some unjust attacks in Northern newspapers. Throughout it all, Lee held his head high and maintained his dignity, his character, and his principles.

Lee put much effort into healing the wounds left by the war. He appreciated the esteem in which he was held by his fellow Southerners, but he encouraged them to be loyal citizens of the United States of America. He never said a word against General U.S. Grant, and even rebuked an employee of Washington College who did. One of the most fascinating (and mysterious) episodes in the book is Lee's trip to Washington, D.C., to visit President Grant in the White House. No one else was present for the meeting, and so no one really knows what they discussed.

The book ends abruptly with an account of Lee's death, without going reporting on his funeral and his family's life without him. Even so, this book makes great reading and has fascinating insights into the private life of an American icon.

This was a passionate story of the last five years of the life of one of our greatest American heroes. Finally, we have a look at what Lee accomplished AFTER the war! From the first chapter to the end, I was enthralled with the story of Lee's dedication to God and country. The author used interesting stories to detail Lee's character which made the book easy to read and immensely enjoyable. I judge this to be one of the very best biographies I've ever read.

The In-Touch Ministries version of the NASB is a welcome addition to the NASB Update family of Bibles. I have the Top Grain leather edition, and I have not found a Bible on the market that can match the leather quality of this Bible. The top grain leather is extremely soft and thick. Even the inside of the covers are made of the leather resulting in a Bible that literally "fits your hands like a glove." The paper is of high quality- easy to turn and it does not allow bleed through of ball point pens and some markers. There are extra pages in the front and back for extended note taking. The concordance and maps are standard NASB/Foundation additions. The print is a good size for reading and clear on the page. The Bible should receive a five star rating except for two things: 1) the lack of cross-references is limiting to Bible study; and 2) there have been some quality problems in the printing process that results in page-fold errors throughout the Bible. Lockman and Foundation Press are aware of these problems and they are working to correct these shortfalls. In summary, if you're shopping for a Wide Margin NASB Update, and cross-references are not important to your method of Bible study, this is the Bible for you. The investment in the Top-Grain Leather is worth it just to hold it in your hands as you "taste" the word of God.

The In-Touch Ministries edition of the NASBU is a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind Bible, with buttery-soft calfskin leather in your choice of navy blue, burgundy, or black. It even excels the Cambridge editions. It is smyth-sewn, and has quality paper.
Unfortunately, all the Bible has is text and concordance with coloured maps in the back, and wide margins. No helps whatsoever.
I would even hesitate before I marked up the Bible, that's how beautiful it is. However, if all you want is a pretty cover, buy it. Otherwise, forget it. Other NASBU reference or study Bibles in genuine or top-grain leather are available at lesser cost. So, save yourself a few bucks and get yourself something that has more information.

I just received my NASB Wide Margin Edition. To me, the aesthetic qualties of a Bible are important. And in terms of the aesthetic qualities of this Bible--well, the leather is a delight to the eyes and feels wonderful as it just lays in your hand like a well-worn baseball glove. The paper is wonderful. [One of the things that bugs me about so many Bibles on the market today is the flimsiness of the paper--with all the attendant problems--bleed through, etc.] The text itself is nice and clean. A comfortable size font that is easy on the eyes and uncluttered in appearance. In short, IN TOUCH MINISTRIES and LOCKMAN FOUNDATION have produced a product that is an absolute delight to the senses.

I have used many translations over the years. But I find myself always going back to the NASB. I just know that when all is said and done, I "trust" it. I use the NIV also, but there are just too many passages in the NIV that, upon closer examination, add or subtract from the text of the original Greek. For example, in Luke 9:62 the NIV translators add two words to the text that are not in the Greek "...no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for SERVICE IN the kingdom of God." The NASB simply translates what the actual Greek text says--"...look back IS FIT FOR the kingdom of God." If I did not know Greek, I would not have known that the NIV adds words that are not in the Greek text. In short, the NAS does not supply so much "interpretation" to the actual Greek text. It sticks to "translation." I just find over and over again, that when I read my NIV I either have to pull out my Nestle Greek text or my NAS to see if that is what the verse REALLY says.

The NIV is a great translation in many ways, but for serious Bible study, the NASB is, I believe, the most trustworthy translation on the market. And so, if you are going to go with the NASB text, why not get one with the best aesthetic qualities as well? This Bible has it all!!!

Only 3 drawbacks: I wish this Bible had included:
1. the cross-references found in most editions of the NASB
2. ALL of the footnotes that appear in most editions of the NASB (this one is pretty bare-bones), and
3. a little more margin space on the inside margins (not a whole lot of room to write on the inside margins).

But on the whole, I love it and am glad I purchased it. It's my favorite Bible (and I have many Bibles).

"Knowing Scripture" is an absolute must for all Christians. The reader will learn how someone is to approach scripture and read it properly. R.C. Sproul takes academic subjects like Hermeneutics and makes them easy to understand, equiping the reader with the right tools to study the bible.

Many Christians, as well as skeptics, are unfamiliar with the rules of biblical interpretation and therefore, regardless on which side of the fence the reader is on religious issues, all groups can benefit from this book.

This book is a nice little beginning hermeneutics text. Sproul begins this work by telling his reader why it is crucial that they develop a desire, to not only read, but actually study the Word of God. He then moves into how the Bible should be studied with an emphasis on personal Bible study and private interpretation. Sproul also discusses rules for Biblical interpretation. One of the better chapters in this text is titled "Culture and the Bible." Here Sproul discusses the importance of interpretation in light of the culture in which it was written. The reason I like this chapter is the fact that Sproul, who is also a philosopher, is not trapped in the idea that culture dictates interpretation. In other words, while culture is an important thing to keep in mind in hermeneutics it does not determine truth, thus making truth relative to culture. Sproul understands this and explains how to avoid this pitfall. I recommend this work for those who are wanting to get involved in the study of hermeneutics. This is a great place to start that study.

Sproul combines theological insights with his very familar humor in order to teach us some basics in deeper reading of the Bible. Since the Bible is a book that gets deeper as one grows taller, most spiritually "tall" teachers seem to write yet another deep book to daunt the study of scripture. On the contrary, R.C. is an excellent teacher, encourager, and writer who first dispels the fear of studying the Bible. Then he immediately points to the importance of studying the Bible, and does an overview of how to interpret and apply scripture in most biblical way possible. His colorful examples are helpful. I am also thankful for his list of further readings in the last chapter (after reading this book, I felt like buying them all!). In almost all of his books I've read, R.C. seems to struggle in trying to be less scholar-like for the sake of the general audience. But only being human =), he cannot hold back his brilliance; and at times R.C. pushes us to think! But he is gentle and very reasonable. This book is short, but very nice. Thus, for leasure or study in group; for scholars and laymen...I highly recommend this book. Both will learn a lot--if not in content, then in sheer style!

"Winnie the Pooh" and "House on Pooh Corner" were two of my favorite books growing up. When I came across this 75th boxed anniversary edition, I just had the get it. Keep in mind, this is just the same great stories in new packages. "Winnie the Pooh" has gold trimmed pages and "House on Pooh Corner" is trimmed with silver. I recommend this to anyone who hopes to pass on the love of the original Winnie the Pooh characters to any young ones in their lives. I know I definitely will.

I think this book suitable for everyone not only for child but adult also can read it. My friend and I love this book and try to collect the whole of Pooh's series. But I think .. The house at the Pooh corner also lovely while The Tao of Pooh was very difficult to understand for child. However, I love it!!

Yesterday I planned on reading "The Great Gatsby," but instead I read A.A. Milne's "Winnie the Pooh."

What! you say.

Well, I bought it a while back, and I never sat down to read it. So yesterday I just grabbed it, and started reading---and despite the fact that it's meant for children, the insight it offers is unparalleled. Maybe some of you have read "The Tao of Pooh" (which I read in high school). That book explains how Winnie the Pooh behaves in a Taoist fashion. But instead of reading the "Tao" book, I think people could have done just as well, if not better, reading the original work.

I have great respect for an author who can write a work that appeals to both children and adults. Such is "The Phantom Tollbooth" or "The Wizard of Oz." Such is "Winnie The Pooh." The joy of reading Winnie is the absurd logic it follows. Or the way it satirizes adults, which it does quite well through the characters of Eeyore and Owl. For example, how can you NOT enjoy this passage from Chapter Four:

"The old grey donkey, Eeyore, stood by himself in a thirsty corner of the forest, his front feet well apart, his head on one side, and thought about things. Sometimes he thought sadly to himself, 'Why?' and sometimes he thought, 'Wherefore?' and sometimes he thought, 'Inasmuch as which?'---and sometimes he didn't quite know what he was thinking about."

Now the only decision that remains is do I read the other Pooh book I bought, "The House at Pooh Corner" or do I read F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." Hmm.